What's this? Always thought it was....

[Heather]

false lily of the valley but I cannot find it in my book. Any clues? It's rampant in my woods but I think native.

 

[Heather]

Sorry for the super close up of cat hair on my deck chair. Stupid imageshack. What the heck link are people using these days? They've changed them around...hrm.

 

[MoreWater]

smilacina racemosa? or stellata? (can't tell flower shape in the pic ...)

 

[kentuckiense]

I'd call that Canada mayflower, Maianthemum canadense.

Also, I'd suggest getting this field guide: http://www.amazon.com/Wildflowers-F...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211823137&sr=8-1

I have a very large number of wildflower field guides, and this guide is far better than any of them, including the Audubon one.

 

[Heather]

Hmmm, good guess, Ki, but I don't think so...leaf isn't right. I'll go take another picture of them in situ...(dude, aren't you a lawyer? Who do you represent, taxos???)

 

[Heather]

I think Zach's got it but let me go get another photo. Relatives though, it seems?

 

[MoreWater]

oh yeah, Maianthemum canadense looks right. I'm just going by a book. Woodland plants are a recent thing for me - they were the reason I started gardening on the balc - polygonatums, arisaema, trillium (this is a struggle), tricyrtis, asarum, etc. Thinking about adding a mayapple soonish.

 

[Heather]

okay, here are more leaves and buds and a star flower and ferns. Yeah, this is right out my back door. That's kinda cool I think...

 

[Heather]

Ki, you want a mayapple? I can get you one of those! Good trade?

New to me as well - since I started working at www.newenglandwild.org a year ago... :wink:

 

[MoreWater]

Thanks, but I don't think this is a good time to be trying to transplant one here - about to hit summer temps (I hope). I'll probably get one locally for a strain that's used to our weather - while at a wetland park some 10 mins from my office, I ran into folks from a native plant nursery about 5 mins away - didn't know they existed and just have to check them out.

Favorite balc plant is Polygonatum humile - grows in total urban shade (about 98% shade, if I had to guess) and has spread from 3 stalks with 6 leaves to a nice clump. Unfortunately from asia - not native

 

[Heather]

Probably right - I don't grow them, I just watch them grow and they are about past now for sure.

I do work there but it appears our web site is down for the count. Drat.
Nice Polygonatum....

 

[MoreWater]

Probably right - I don't grow them....

LOL. Most people don't grow them - they just *have* them. Growing these types of things in peat mix in pots has been interesting - not much in the way of advice out there I think I need to amend/replace the potting mix next year and I'm undecided as to what to put in it this time around. Maybe I should plant some deciduous stuff so I have natural leaf mulch :rollhappy:

 

[NYEric]

We call them 'weeds'; or 'salad' at the fancier restaurants! oke:

 

[cdub]

Zach has it right. Maianthemum canadense, Mayflower, or False-lily-of-the-valley. It also smells like true lily-of-the-valley, but not as strong. You also have Trientalis borealis, Starflower, growing alongside it. They are almost always growing together.